


Pot Meets Kettle

by sarsmiles



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angry Sex, Angst, Awkward Conversations, Cruise Ships, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I had feelings, Jealousy, Minor Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, The conversation Blake and Yang need to have, minor blake belladona/ilia amitola, the aftermath
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 13:56:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16975848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarsmiles/pseuds/sarsmiles
Summary: Yang finally confronts Blake on Saffron Arc's townhouse balcony. As cathartic as it is, it doesn't help them much when a stupid lizard Faunus appears on the doorstep the next day.Everything just spirals from there.





	Pot Meets Kettle

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this within 24 hours. It has 12000 words. I didn't sleep. I don't know what seized me. It just had to be done. 
> 
> I haven't proofread this. There will certainly be mistakes, but I need this out of my system. I originally wanted to write about a Blake/Yang fight ONLY. As you can see, it totally got out of hand from there. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy this mess.

Saffron Arc’s home was not big enough to properly house ten extra people, despite her and her wife’s insistence that it could. There were four bedrooms. One of which was Saffron and Terra’s, and another was the nursery for their son. Oscar decided to bunk in with the young boy, the two bonding immediately. The third had a pair of twin beds that Maria and Qrow quickly claimed. That left one room with a single king bed, which was where team JNPR had been camping out in. Jaune graciously offered up the room as everyone was getting for bed, but Ruby shot him down.

They were fine with the living room. Weiss snagged the couch, with Ruby immediately placing down a bedroll directly next to it. That left one couch to claim.

Yang already knew exactly how it would go. She’d turn to find Blake looking at her with those sad, remorseful eyes, and Blake would say, “You can sleep on the couch. I want the floor anyway.”

The idea of it made Yang irrationally angry. She didn’t turn to look at Blake. She didn’t let the exchange happen at all. “You take the couch,” she said. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

She left before Blake could say anything. She didn’t want to see the hurt on her face.

It was hard, being fine with Blake. Sometimes it seemed so easy. She could almost forget everything that had happened. She could pretend they were still the same people they’d been when they’d first reached Beacon, when it was easy to tease, and laugh, and be vulnerable with one another.

Before Blake had left her, just like everyone else.

But then something would happen that brought everything slamming back. A glimpse of her metal arm, a flash of red, Blake leaving—even if it was only to walk into another room.

And it was a never-ending cycle of shitty, that Blake not being next to her was just as triggering as Blake being next to her. How could she even begin to address that? She didn’t know. Blake hadn’t even really tried to talk to her, to figure out everything between them, besides when she’d tried to comfort her in the haunted town shed. Instead of treating Yang like a _partner_ she’d delegated her to _victim,_ and it was far too late for that. Yang had needed Blake to be there to help her when she had woken up to find her arm gone. Now, she needed an equal.

Blake still refused give her that.

Although she’d meant to go to the bathroom to cool off, Yang found herself stepping through a doorway out onto one of the house’s many front balconies. The air was frigid, but that worked out well as her body still burned with anger. For a short while, steam rolled off of her to evaporate into the night sky, before her semblance finally died off.

The soft light of tall street lamps illuminated the city. A light sprinkle of snow fell to dust the ground. It stuck to Yang’s hair and clothes before melting. She breathed in, and out, focusing on calming herself. Although she’d been largely skeptical of meditation in the past, and especially opposed to it during her stay at Taiyang’s, it _did_ help during her episodes.

The door behind her squeaked slightly, and Yang didn’t need to turn around to know she was no longer alone.

“Is everything okay?” Blake asked, and Yang couldn’t help but chuckle ruefully at the circumstances. Not so long ago she would’ve given anything to be doted on like Blake was attempting now.

“I wanted some fresh air,” Yang said, her tone short. She winced at it. She’d been trying so hard _to be fine._

Blake approached her slowly, her footsteps silent except for the faintest crunch of snow. Yang didn’t move to make room for her at her place leaning against the railing, but Blake slipped beside her way anyway, sandwiched between Yang and the corner of the balcony. 

It was like some sort of weird game of chicken. Yang couldn’t help but think of it that way. Blake had used to despise close touch, and now she was trying to be as close as possible.

Oh, how things change.

“Did you need something?” Yang asked.

“I just wanted to check in on you.”

“Well, now you have.” Yang grimaced. She wanted to be alone.

Blake didn’t leave. “You’re still mad at me.”

This was the _last_ conversation Yang wanted to have. “I’m not _mad_ , Blake,” she said, turning to go back inside. With Weiss and Ruby around, Blake wouldn’t be willing to continue this.

“No—don’t—,“ Blake’s hand wrapped around Yang’s wrist in a flash, tightening almost to the point of pain. Yang stared down at the hand in shock, then looked up to see Blake looking nearly as surprised.

“I’m sorry. I—I didn’t mean to grab you. I just really want to _talk_ to you,” Blake said, hesitantly dropping Yang’s wrist. “You keep running away.”

“It doesn’t feel good, does it,” Yang said, but it was too tired to be cutting. Blake flinched anyway.

Yang closed her eyes, and slowly breathed. When she opened them, she resolved herself to face Blake. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I—“ Blake looked surprised, but it only lasted for a second before it transformed into determination. “I’m sorry, Yang. I’m sorry for leaving. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

Yang heaved a sigh. “I’ve already forgiven you, Blake.”

“Then why do you—“ Blake stopped, but Yang knew what she meant to say anyway.

“Forgiveness doesn’t erase what happened.”

Blake frowned. “Yang, I only left because I was afraid Adam would hurt you more.”

“He’d already hurt me!” Yang yelled, fury rising quickly, as it always did. Blake just didn’t _get_ it. “It was too late for that. It was too late to protect me from him. You were one of the most important things in my life, and disappearing wasn’t going to change that. I was a target no matter what!”

God, this was so _stupid_.

“You had no guarantee him leaving would protect me. He could’ve just come after me again. And you weren’t there, so he would’ve succeeded.”

“I knew he’d follow me—“

“No. You didn’t.” Yang couldn’t look her in the eye anymore. She turned, gripping the railing with her prosthetic hand so hard the metal creaked. “I’d told you. I’d told you about my past, and what that did to me. And you turned around and did the same thing without a second thought.”

“I am _not_ your mother.” Blake’s voice cracked, and Yang turned back to see that she look devastated. Her ears were completely flattened on top of her head. It hurt Yang, but not enough to stop her from speaking.

“Yeah, well, Raven thought she was ‘protecting’ me too,” Yang said. “But really? She was just a coward.”

Silence fell between them. Blake’s eyes shone with a layer of unshed tears. Yang couldn’t look away from them.

“You have no idea what I went through,” Yang said quietly. “You didn’t write. You didn’t ask Ruby. You didn’t care. While you were off with your family and your boyfriend, I was in my bed for months. I needed you. I needed my partner. My partner, who I had chosen to stay beside, who I’d chosen to sacrifice for, who I would’ve _died_ for. But she wasn’t there.”

And really, how were they supposed to fix this? How did Yang move on? She’d been trying. She really had. But even now, Blake somehow thought she’d done the right thing. She thought that she was justified in running, and she thought that now everything would be okay if she played the doting protector.

But that wasn’t what Yang wanted.

“Yang…” Blake was crying now.

“I understand that Adam did horrible things to you. I understand that you suffered with him. And I forgive you, Blake. But I don’t trust you right now. Not like I used to.”

Blake wasn’t looking at her, head dipped to hide her face. Her tears fell, dropping to the ground to splatter against the stone balcony. Yang made herself continue to watch. If she was going to inflict pain upon Blake, even if it was from the truth, she was going to force herself to bear witness to it.

Then Blake looked up, her face a wreck from her tears, and stepped closer, reaching out to clasp the lapels of Yang’s coat.

“I missed you,” she said, voice cracking. “I—”

Yang felt her heart shatter. It would’ve been better to push Blake away. It would’ve been better to set clear boundaries. “I missed you too,” she said instead. _So much_ , she didn’t say out loud. _Almost more than I could bear._

“I’m not going to leave you,” Blake whispered fiercely. “Never, Yang. Do you hear me?”

Yang nodded, because how could she not? It didn’t mean she believed it. She so badly wanted to, but she’d been burned one too many times now for it to be that easy.

They stood like that in silence, so close yet not close enough, Blake’s hands still clenched tightly in the folds of Yang’s coat. Tension grew between them, the air heavy and almost crackling with it. Yang wondered what this meant, and what she should do.

This conversation had fixed nothing. It had only allowed them to be more open than a simple “ _I’m fine”_ about their current relationship. Maybe that’s what they needed to start to heal, she considered. Honest and equal footing.

The sight of Blake’s tongue flicking out to lick her lips, a completely innocent and trivial movement, broke Yang out of her thoughts and brought her crashing back down.

She slowly pulled away, pointedly ignoring the way her chest clenched and burned. “We need to go to bed, Blake. We have to be at our best tomorrow. You know, to properly ransom the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.”

Blake let out a choked laugh. She released Yang’s coat lapels with a sluggishness that screamed of reluctance, and stepped away, quickly wiping the rest of her tears from her cheeks as she did so. “You’re right. Can’t be tired for that.”

Awkwardness suddenly filled the space between them, and Yang fled from it first, making her way back inside the house and down the stairs to where Weiss and Ruby were already asleep.

A bedroll was made up and spread out at the foot of the other empty couch, and Yang slid into it quickly, unwilling to risk any more interaction with Blake. She was emotionally exhausted.

Blake seemed to have the same idea. She didn’t try to meet Yang’s eyes as she made her way onto the couch, pulling the blanket up over her with a quiet shuffle.

From her place on the floor, Yang was unable to see her. Part of her preferred that, and part of her lamented it.

She shoved the latter part down, and forced herself to sleep.

 

—

 

 

Getting into the Atlas military base was hard. Dealing with Weiss’s anxiety was harder. She became more and more snappish with every minute that passed. Yang couldn’t blame her, but it was a lot to deal with.

Perhaps, if Weiss was in a better mental state, she would’ve noticed the new and distinct awkwardness that colored Blake and Yang’s interactions. She was always good at being observant, especially when it came to the two of them. Ruby was too busy trying every trick in the book to cheer her up to notice anything either.

Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dumber, the giant idiots guarding the front gate, led them deep into the base to the main military structure. Inside it was a maze of bureaucracy. They quickly garnered a lot of attention. They were hunters and huntresses after all, and even without their weapons their outfits were not exactly subtle.

It took them awhile to make it all to the top floor of the compound. When they finally crested the top of the stairs, they found a very large and imposing door.

“Only the Schnee may enter,” the Idiots shouted together.

“Um, no,” Weiss said immediately. “They _will_ be joining me.”

And that was that. Regardless of her disownment, Weiss was a Schnee through and through.

This was demonstrated once again by the quite (and this was the only word for it) _epic_ screaming battle that commenced between her and her sister Winter, who they now knew was the commanding officer the Idiots had shouted about. Only Qrow’s presence prevented it from escalating. Mostly because she turned her anger on him, but that was just a minor detail.

Yang was irritated. Despite what she’d said to Blake, she’d struggled to sleep. When she had finally dozed off, she’d been plagued with vague and uncomfortable dreams. She couldn’t remember them, but they’d been enough to make her sleep fitfully. That, combined with how difficult this was turning out to be, was enough to set her on edge.

On top of that, Blake kept shooting her glances, which was nothing new and yet had become even more distracting. It shouldn't have been. It had been going on since the day she’d came back.

_And she did come back. Doesn’t that count for something?_

Yang shook her head. If only it were so easy.

“I can’t just give you a military vessel, Weiss, regardless of the reason. Atlas’ borders are _closed._ ”

“This is more important than borders!” Weiss said shrilly.

Qrow slammed his hand on Winter’s desk, ignoring the furious glare she sent at him. “If you refuse to help us, then fine. We will find a way to Atlas regardless.”

“God, you _imbecile,”_ Winter spat. “I can give you your stupid boat. I just can’t do it through my job.”

Silence descended.

“Oh,” Qrow muttered, lifting his hand off the desk.

Weiss squealed and rushed forward to hug her sister, thanking her over and over.

“I need you all to leave,” Winter said tiredly. “Where are you staying? I can meet you there tonight.”

Unsurprisingly, leaving the Atlas military base was far easier than entering it.

Jaune and the others were gone when they returned to the Arc home. In fact, the entire house was empty.

“I need a drink,” Qrow groaned before slinking out the door and off down the street, undoubtedly to find a bar and forget frustrating Schnees.

“I think that’s my cue,” Maria said. “ _I_ need a nap.” She disappeared up the stairs. “I think I’ll nap too,” Oscar said quietly, following her. Yang watched him go, feeling a bit bad for the kid. She knew they’d been harsh on him for Ozpin, but it was hard to separate feelings for the two. They shared the same body after all.

“Well,” Blake said. “What would you guys like to do today? We could explore the city before we have to leave.”

“That sounds perfect!” Ruby exclaimed. Weiss, who was now in a slightly better mood, smiled at her excitement.

Yang wanted to take a nap like Maria, but she knew they wouldn’t let her bail, so she decided to go with it.

There was a knock from the front door.

Ruby, who was nearest to it, opened it hesitantly. “Hello? Are you looking for the Arcs?”

The girl standing on the other side had dark skin and auburn hair. Her body was covered in large, odd-colored freckles. Or spots? Yang couldn’t tell.

“Um, I’m looking for Blake? Blake Belladonna?”

“Ilia?” Blake gasped, finally coming close enough to see the girl on the other side.

“Blake! I found you,” Ilia said, grinning. The spots on her cheeks turned a light pink, and she gave Blake a look of such unbridled affection that Yang was momentarily stunned.

_What?_

“What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in Menagerie? Did something happen?” Blake asked worriedly. Ruby moved to the side, gesturing for Ilia to come in, and Blake met her at the threshold.

“No, no everything is okay,” Ilia reassured her, reaching out to grasp her hands. “Maybe we could talk in the house?”

_What?_

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course,” Blake said, pulling away. “Come on in. We can catch up the living room.”

They moved as a group further into the house, Yang following in a daze. She didn’t understand what was happening here, but she knew without a doubt that a large part of her _didn’t like it,_ didn’t like some stranger touching Blake so familiarly, and it confused her. The girl, Ilia, had done nothing except say hello.

“Everyone, this is Ilia,” Blake introduced once they had situated themselves on the couches. Yang couldn’t help herself, and instead of sitting down she leaned against the back bookshelf, hovering over them all. “She’s an old friend of mine.”

Ilia waved at Weiss and Ruby, sitting together on one of the couches. She looked slightly nervous. “Hi everyone. I’ve heard so much about you.”

 _That makes one of us,_ Yang thought angrily. She tried to tamp down on her bitterness. It made sense that there were things she didn’t know. Blake had always been secretive about her past, and they’d not discussed anything about their time apart. How could she expect to know a childhood friend?

The logic of it didn’t make her feel any better. And it must have shown on her face because Blake and Weiss were sending her nervous and confused glances, respectively.

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” Blake asked Ilia, focusing back on her.

“Well,” Ilia said, trailing off. “Yes and no. Yes, in that there’s nothing immediately wrong. Menagerie is doing well, and your parents are great as always. No, in that Adam murdered the Queen of the White Fang, and disappeared with the rest of them.”

“ _What?”_ Blake whispered.

Yang felt all of the blood drain from her face, and her hand began to tremble. She grasped it with her metal one to force it still. So the bastard was free and still wreaking havoc. It didn’t matter. She had always known she would see him again. And this time, she was ready.

She looked at Blake, and found Blake already looking back at her. They locked eyes.

“I know that’s not the news you want to hear,” Ilia said. “But I left to find you as soon as I found out. You needed to know.” The girl paused before continuing quietly. “And I wanted to be here to help you in case he came for you.”

Blake was still locked onto Yang, but when she heard that she turned back to Ilia, and Yang felt abruptly bereft.

“Thank you,” Blake said. “You really didn’t have to do that.”

“I wanted to,” Ilia told her emphatically.

“Do you think Adam will come for us? For Blake?” Weiss asked.

“I think that’s a strong possibility,” Ruby said. “But he’s not going to succeed. Not with us all together.” Ruby smiled at Blake, and Blake smiled back.

“Thank you, Ruby.”

“And you have me,” Ilia said hurriedly. Her spots turned pink again. “If you’ll have me that is.”

“Of course,” Ruby said before Yang could… protest or whatever she wanted to do. She didn’t even know. “The more the merrier!”

The more the _fucking_ merrier, Yang thought angrily, and was shocked by the vitriol she felt. What was _wrong_ with her? This was someone who genuinely cared and wanted to help Blake. She could make them all safer, and she’d risked a lot to get this message here.

No matter what this sudden possessiveness was, Yang furiously told herself she’d get past it. She wasn’t going to turn down a way to make Blake safer.

They were all Team Anti-Adam. That’s all that mattered.

She kept telling herself this over and over as they made their way through the city streets. Blake, as sensitive as she’d recently been to Yang’s moods, followed Yang worriedly. Ilia followed Blake. It made Yang feel like shit to know that she was ruining the day for Blake with her nonsensically bad mood.

Ilia told them story after story about Blake as a child, and all the nonsense they had gotten into, ignoring Blake’s protests. On one hand, it was wonderful learning these things. Yang knew she was filing them away in the back of her mind to have forever. On the other, she hated watching how Ilia looked at Blake while telling them.

Ilia was in love with Blake. It was so obvious that it stunned Yang that it took her longer than thirty seconds to realize it. And while every story was cute, the looks Ilia shot Yang afterwards _screamed_ pissing contest.

But Yang wasn’t going to retaliate. Ilia didn’t own Blake. Yang didn’t own Blake. Hell, there still were numerous unsolved issues between the two of them. They hadn’t even managed to become partners again.

They stopped at a small mall with a few cute clothing stores. Ruby gasped at one with endless black and red clothes hung up in the display window, and excitedly begged Weiss to come inside with her. Weiss rolled her eyes, and then looked at Yang. Yang didn’t understand what the look meant until Weiss snagged Ilia, who was standing next to Blake, by the hand and started dragging her in the store with them.

“I can’t deal with her alone,” she told Ilia. “And Ruby and I’d like to get to know you better, if you’re okay with that?”

Regardless if she was okay with it or not, Ruby, Weiss, and Ilia disappeared into the store together, leaving Yang and Blake alone.

Yang shook her head and laughed. _God, Weiss_. _Stop trying to fix my life._

Blake shifted nervously beside her, but didn’t make any move to go after them.

Good, Yang thought, and then kicked herself.

“Are you okay?” Blake asked her suddenly. “You’ve been acting… off.”

“I just didn’t get enough sleep last night. Had a few nightmares,” Yang lied. Well, it wasn’t completely a lie, but it wasn’t the truth either.

“And I’m sure the news about Adam hasn’t made you feel any better,” Blake observed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Yang replied. “If he shows his face again, we’ll kick his ass.”

Blake let out a short, surprised laugh. She turned and smiled at Yang, the expression so light and full of _something._ “You’re right. We will.”

Yang’s chest clenched, and she was hurled back into the memory of the night before, of Blake so close, hands grasping her clothes, face tilted upwards. Of her tongue.

Blake’s smile faltered. Her left ear twitched. “Yang?”

Yang stared at her, shocked by the depth of emotion roaring through her. Blake stared back, frozen, eyes darkening.

“They didn’t have _anything_!” Ruby’s whine broke through the moment, and Yang blinked and jerked away. She whirled to see Ruby, Weiss, and Ilia making their way out of the store.

“You don’t need anymore red and black anyway,” Yang said, trying to play it cool. She smoothed down her already completely flat clothes. Play it cool about what? She didn’t know.

Ruby pouted. Weiss was still chatting with Ilia, who seemed to have not noticed Yang and Blake’s little staring contest.

Yang felt disappointment, but she buried it quickly.

The rest of their evening was uneventful. They stopped to eat at a local restaurant, and the food was delicious.

“I grew up in the White Fang,” Ilia told them over their bowls. “I didn’t leave them until recently, actually.”

“ _How_ recently?” Weiss asked, and Blake elbowed her.

“Well, when Blake came back to Menagerie,” Ilia admitted. She looked embarrassed. “I had a lot of anger that I let control me, and I was blinded by Adam to my actions. That’s not an excuse, really, but it’s the truth.”

“You did the right thing when it counted,” Blake told her softly.

Ilia smiled. “Blake showed me that violence wasn’t the answer. She showed me I had never wanted that to be the answer in the first place. I just thought it was easier.”

“I’m really happy for you!” Ruby told her earnestly. “It takes a lot of strength to admit stuff like that.”

“Thank you, Ruby,” Ilia said. “I really appreciate you guys for making me feel welcome.”

Yang ate her food quietly. She’d decided since she couldn’t seem to control herself, that it was best to distance herself from the situation.

She ate so much that she felt like rolling back to the house. She groaned this out loud, and was awarded with various chuckles from her teammates.

“Come on, Yang!” Ruby crowed, pumping her fist in the air. “Who are we to let something like _food_ defeat us?” With this she began towing Yang down the street. Yang just groaned some more, clutching her stomach.

Qrow was still gone when they arrived back home, but team JNPR was back and sprawled out on the couches along with Oscar.

"How’d the military base go? Oscar said he couldn’t give us a good rundown since he didn’t know who anyone was,” Jaune called in greeting. “And who’s this?”

“This is Ilia,” Ruby introduced the Faunus. “She’s an old friend of Blake’s. Ilia this is Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Oscar.”

Greetings were exchanged, and Ruby and Weiss explained what had happened at the Atlas base as they all settled in.

Yang sat on the far couch next to Jaune, slumping to rub her stomach. She was so tired, and the food wasn’t helping. Eventually everyone slipped away to bed. Qrow came stumbling in a little while later, not nearly as hammered as they’d expected. He growled around a bit before stumbling upstairs.

Ilia hesitated before offering to find somewhere else to sleep for the evening. Ruby and Blake both chimed to insist she stay.

“You can have the couch!” Blake said, patting her the spot beside her.

“Is that where you were sleeping? I can sleep on the floor.”

“No, no, it’s fine, really.”

Blake spread out another bedroll right next to Yang’s and covered it haphazardly in a mountain of blankets. Yang snorted at this, and smiled when Blake glared at her.

“I don’t think you have enough blankets yet. Here,” Yang joked, throwing one of her smaller blankets on the pile. She’d been too warm the night before anyway.

Ruby and Weiss were bickering under their breath in the corner. It seemed like they were debating on who should get the ground as well. _Aw, Weiss is trying to be honorable_ , Yang thought _._ How cute.

Eventually Ruby won the debate, and took the ground once again.

“Wasn’t Winter supposed to visit tonight?” Ruby asked Weiss sleepily once they’d all settled in.

Weiss flopped over look down at her. “I’m sure she either got caught up, or is planning to contact us some other way.”

“Okay, good,” Ruby mumbled, and promptly began snoring. Weiss wrinkled her nose, but Yang didn’t miss the way her eyes softened. The girl was whipped, and Yang didn’t blame her. She’d been under Ruby’s thumb herself for years.

“Are you sure this is okay?” Ilia asked. She looked uncomfortable on the couch under her blankets. “I feel bad.”

“It’s fine, Ilia. Stop worrying,” Blake told her, crawling under her blanket pile. “We’re huntresses. We’re used to sleeping on much worse than a bedroll in a room in a house with _blankets_.”

“Right,” Ilia said.

Despite her exhaustion, Yang couldn’t sleep. She listened to Ruby’s snoring, and noted when Weiss’s loud, deep breathing joined it. Blake was a silent sleeper. Ilia seemed to be too, if she actually was asleep that is.

Yang shifted from one side of the other, trying to get comfortable. Her skin felt like it was too tight. Her mind kept flashing through the last twenty-four hours. It had all been so surreal. Her conversation with Blake had only happened last night, and yet it felt like it had been days.

She fidgeted again, trying to get her feet just right. Out from under the covers? Maybe. Maybe, but she didn’t like the feeling of open air on her feet.

And what about Ilia? Ilia, who was a childhood friend of Blake’s. Ilia, who Blake had never mentioned, who she had kept strangely secret. Ilia, who was most definitely in love with Blake.

What if Blake had once felt the same? The thought was an odd one. Blake had always seemed solely interested in men, but what did Yang know? It’s not like she ever talked about her own proclivities to anyone else before.

What if Blake had liked Ilia? What if her and Ilia got back together? What if Blake went back with her to the Menagerie once all of this was done? What if Blake left—

Yang’s thoughts stopped abruptly when she felt Blake’s hand lightly brush her own. She twitched in shock, but didn’t pull away. She looked over to see Blake laying on her side, face peeking out from under the blankets to sleepily blink at her.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” Blake whispered quietly. “You need to sleep, Yang. Whatever it is can wait for the morning.”

“But—” Yang wanted to argue that this was important. That she didn’t think it could wait. _But why not? Why couldn’t it wait?_ She asked herself. She was so tired, but it seemed terribly important somehow.

“Yang. Sleep,” Blake whispered, voice firm. She didn’t move her hand from where it was brushing against Yang’s, and before Yang knew it she had fallen asleep.

 

—

 

 

When Yang woke up, her hand was cold, and Winter Schnee was looming over her. She let out an undignified yell, and scrambled to her feet.

There was a similar reaction around her as everyone heard her cry, and stumbled to alertness on reflex, prepared for an attack.

“Winter?” Weiss asked, relaxing from her battle position on top of the couch when she realized it was her sister. “What are you doing here?”

Winter looked unimpressed by their response. She lifted an eyebrow. “I’m here to talk.”

Qrow was just as pissed to see Winter in the early morning, as he had been the day before. “God,” he growled, violently throwing his mug into the little coffee machine, and pressing the boil button. “Can a man not at least have his morning caffeine before Salem herself appears?”

Winter glared at him. “You seemed very interested in getting to Atlas yesterday as quick as possible. Was I mistaken?”

Qrow huffed, but was too proud to reply. Weiss did it for him. “You have a way for us?”

“A cruise on a luxury yacht,” Winter replied. “Purely for Atlas’ upper echelons. It docked today after a three day trip.”

“I thought the border was closed?” Blake asked, rubbing her eyes. Yang knew she had not appreciated being woken up so abruptly.

“Only for non-citizens and the poor. Which is why I brought these.” With a flourish, she pulled out documents for each of them. It was documentation claiming that they were Atlas-bred hunters, hired by the Schnee Dust Company to safely escort Weiss Schnee and her servants back to Atlas.

“What an elaborate and insulting backstory,” Yang said dryly, looking it over. Weiss looked embarrassed, but she didn’t say anything. They all knew it was the only thing that would work.

“Once you get to Atlas, get rid of the paperwork. I don’t want anything connecting you back to me. With Weiss, you won’t have any issues with documentation once you’re there.”

“Thank you, Winter,” Weiss said. “We really appreciate this.”

“You’re welcome,” Winter said stiffly. “Be safe. I’ll visit when I can.”

With one last glare at Qrow, she swept out the door.

“God, she’s insufferable.”

“Can you stop ragging on my sister, please?” Weiss asked, irritated. “She helped us.”

Qrow sighed.

“We have a way there. That’s all that matters,” Maria said.

“And it’s a _cruise,”_ Jaune said jubilantly, and Ruby quickly joined in with a cheer.

“There are worse ways to travel,” Blake said.

Ilia stood close next to her, looking overwhelmed and confused. “Atlas?” she asked.

And ah, Yang thought. Someone was going to have a lot of explaining to do for that one.

She didn’t volunteer.

They packed up and said their goodbyes to Saffron and Terra. They’d pooled together on their shopping trip to buy them some nice wine and cheese, which they now presented proudly as a thank you gift.

The cruise ship, with Titan stamped proudly in bold black lettering on its side, was the biggest ship in the harbor. There was simply no way to miss it.

“No one except us is boarding for the first time here,” Qrow said. He was still in a foul mood, but he seemed to have it under control for the most part. “That means it’ll be quick and easy to get on.”

“I certainly hope so,” Maria said.

True to Qrow’s word, it was very easy to board the cruise ship. There was no line, besides the single couple in front of them that were getting back on from an excursion. As soon as Weiss was verified as Schnee, her and her entourage were immediately allowed in, weapons and all.

“Not great security here,” Yang remarked.

She was shushed by seven people at once.

Weiss had been assigned the best suite on the ship. Apparently it remained permanently vacant just in case a Schnee came aboard. Weiss was self conscious about the grandeur, but all the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' from her friends made her feel better eventually. They rest of them had been given five rooms to use directly adjacent to Weiss’ room. They were servant’s quarters.

"This is mortifying,” Weiss deadpanned when she looked into one of them. “I can’t in good conscious sleep in there,” she nodded her head towards her penthouse sized sweet, “while you guys are in here.”

“It’s not a big deal, Weiss,” Jaune comforted her. “These are still nice rooms.”

“Besides, we’re your _servants,_ remember?” Qrow stressed the word so much there was no doubt to his meaning. “One person can stay with you. But the rest stay here.”

Ruby, of course, was chosen to stay with Weiss. Qrow claimed the single, while Maria and Oscar volunteered to share a room.

“I’m staying with Ren!” Nora cried before grabbing both him and Jaune, and rushing them into a single room.

Blake looked conflicted. Ilia looked hopeful. Yang decided to end it quickly. “I’ll stay alone in that room. You two can have the other.”

Blake stared at her, ears twisted back slightly. “Yang—”

“It works best this way, Blake.” If she ignored her personal _issues_ with Ilia, whatever they were, then it wasn’t fair to make the Faunus stay alone. She was with a new group of people in a new place. She needed Blake.

Yang turned and entered the room on the left, room 322, without another word. It was small, and windowless. It had a twin bed against each wall. The floor was wood. The walls were white and covered with paintings of chubby, naked babies, which was more than mildly horrifying. The beds were also white, and covered in fluffy, thick blankets. A small personal bathroom complete with toilet, sink and shower sat in the corner.

“Wow, rich people servants have it good,” Yang said out loud before collapsing face down on the right bed. It was the side her and Blake had slept on at Beacon.

She hated the thought as soon as it came.

Maybe it was good for her to get some space from Blake. It some ways it seemed like a lot of the resentment had been resolved by their fight. Despite that, Yang still needed to deal with her problems and feelings before she led Blake to believe everything was good again.

A knock at her door had her heaving herself to her feet. She snatched the keycards laying on the nightstand before she went. It was Ruby and Weiss at the door, both in bathing suits and cover-ups.

“Where did you even get those?” she asked.

“Let’s go swim!” Ruby said excitedly, ignoring her question. Weiss grimaced.

“You two can swim,” Yang told her. “I need to do the guardy stuff, remember?”

“Ohhhh, right.” Ruby's face fell. 

Yang sighed. “Maybe I can sunbathe a little bit. _With_ Ember Celica.”

Ruby perked up. “Of course!”

Yang had been played again.

They collected Blake and Ilia, and made their way to the top deck where the pool was. Since it was still technically winter, the pool had a clear insulated cover stretching across it to keep the room warm. Ruby squealed when she saw the water, and immediately launched herself into it with a splash.

This earned her several glares and sniffs, but Weiss glared right back and ended up cowing the entire pool deck. Classic Weiss.

Yang scouted around until she found a chair perfectly situated in the sun, and then laid down. She hadn’t brought any other clothes, so she was still fully dressed. (Really, where had Weiss and Ruby found bathing suits? Did Weiss just get them complimentary?)

Despite not actually being able to tan, the sun felt good.

There was the scrape of a chair being moved and then—

“Hey,” Blake said, settling next to her.

“Hey,” Yang replied, and let the comfortable silence wash over them. Or, rather, that’s what she would’ve done if there wasn’t more scraping and then Ilia plopping herself down beside Blake.

“A pool on a boat? What kind of place is this?” the girl laughed.

“I’ve heard it’s pretty common for cruises,” Blake replied.

“And how common are cruises?”

“Not… very common.”

Yang sighed and swung back to her feet. She needed a drink if she was going to continue being a part of this.

The drinking age in Atlas was 18. She figured if she was on an Atlas boat, they would follow Atlas laws. She hadn’t even needed to worry, though, as the bartender didn’t check. He just looked her up and down before asking what she wanted.

She got a piña colada.

“Whatcha doing?” Ruby asked, sliding wetly into the chair beside her.

Yang jumped. “God, Ruby, you scared me. I’m just getting a drink?”

“A drink?” Ruby’s eyebrows knit with concern, and Yang knew she was thinking about Qrow.

“Yes. Just having a one since it’s a cruise. It tastes like coconut. Wanna try?”

Ruby wrinkled her nose. “Nah it’s fine. I’m under age anyway.”

“I don’t think they care here,” Yang replied, taking a sip. It was good. Had more alcohol than she wanted though. She looked up to find the bartender staring at her. She impassively glared back.

“You sure you don’t want to swim?” Ruby asked.

“I don’t have a bathing suit.”

“We can get you one!”

Yang looked down at her prosthetic arm. It wasn’t that she was conscious of it, per se, but she didn’t want to remove around a group of total strangers. Total strangers that would undoubtedly judge her for it. “Maybe. I’ll think about it.”

“Yay!” Ruby cried, before jumping out of her chair and back into the pool.

Yang drank her entire beverage before heading back over to her chair.

“Was it good?” Blake asked her.

“Yeah. Did you want one?”

“No, I was just curious.”

The drink made her feel better about the whole Blake situation (and the whole Ilia situation?) because the alcohol made her care less. She closed her eyes and dozed off, and was woken a while later for dinner.

While Weiss and Ruby ate in the main dining area, the rest of them just ordered food to their rooms. After they all got their meals, they went to Weiss’ room to eat it. She had a living area that comfortably seated all of them.

Yang’s meal, a very large steak with a side of vegetables, was the best thing she’d ever had.

“This cruise was worth it just for the food,” she moaned.

“Agreed,” Ren said quietly before shoving another forkful in his mouth. The rest were too engrossed in their own food to reply. 

Blake, who sat next to Yang, scarfed down her fish with an intensity Yang had never seen.

“That’s disgusting,” she said. Blake flipped her off, and Yang laughed.

Ilia was still attached to Blake’s hip. The Faunus seemed determined to provoke, interrupting Blake and Yang's conversations, finding excuses to touch Blake every chance she got, shooting Yang sly glances as she did so. Nobody else seemed to notice, so Yang thought maybe she was just going crazy. She'd gotten better at ignoring Ilia. Not in an overtly rude way. Just in a way so as to not cause issues. 

Weiss and Ruby returned as soon as polite convention allowed them to, Ruby so full she claimed she was going to barf and ran to the bathroom. Weiss just looked tired.

“There’s a show tonight,” she told them. “We can go to that. There’s also the casino, which I expressly forbid any of us from entering.” She glared at Qrow. “Tomorrow night there’s another show, which is supposedly also a dance.”

“A dance!” Ruby cried from the bathroom.

Weiss rolled her eyes, and pulled out a pamphlet. “Here’s a list of all the activities on the ship. It sets off tomorrow morning, and we’ll be in Atlas by three days. I only need one ‘guard’ at a time so you guys can do what you want. Just don’t talk to anyone.”

Qrow rolled his eyes, but most of them chimed in in agreement.

“I’m staying by the pool!” Maria announced.

“What time is the show?” Oscar asked. “I’ve never seen a show before.”

Weiss pretended like this didn’t melt her heart. “It’s at 8:30. Does anyone else want to go?”

“Me!” cried Ruby from the bathroom.

Weiss just sighed.

In the end, Oscar, Ruby, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Ilia, and Blake went to the show. Qrow disappeared off to some bar, and Maria to the pool. Blake had originally hesitated when Yang didn’t volunteer, but Ilia’s desire to go eventually forced her hand.

Yang didn’t mind because this is what she wanted, some time without Blake. To figure things out, even if the idea of being away from Blake for an extended period of time made her panic a little.

She needed to just deal with it. They were on a boat. Blake was a cat. She literally couldn’t go anywhere.

Weiss told the others she didn’t feel well, and stayed behind as well.

Yang waited until everyone else had left to go and sit with her on the bed. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I’m fine,” Weiss replied. Yang stayed silent until Weiss sniffed, and said, “I’m just stressed, I guess.”

“Understandably,” Yang said. “Are you worried about your dad?”

“I want to say no, but…”

“It’s not strange to be worried. Your dad is a powerful man.”

“I _know_ that,” Weiss spat. “Thanks for reminding me, Yang. I feel so much better.”

“ _Your dad is a powerful man_ ,” Yang began again. “ _But_ you’re far stronger. And you have us. You don’t need to bow to his whims anymore.”

“He has absolute power in Atlas, Yang. What if he blackmails me? With you guys? What if they capture and arrest us? What if he traps me back in that horrible, _horrible_ house again?”

“He won’t get the chance,” Yang promised, reaching out to lightly hold Weiss’ hand. “We’ve got you, Weiss. We’re here for you. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay.”

“I’m not pretending _,”_ Weiss said, but she sniffed slightly as she said it. “I’m just trying to be strong.”

“You are strong. The strongest person I know.”

Weiss smiled. “Thanks.”

They sat in amicable silence, Yang rubbing her thumb softly on Weiss’ hand. Weiss had been there for her when everyone else had left, and she’d always be grateful to her for that. They were family now, just as much sisters as her and Ruby.

“So, Ilia…” Weiss drawled after a while had passed, and she’d stopped sniffling.

Yang groaned. “You had to ruin a perfectly good moment, didn’t you?”

“You couldn’t possibly have thought I wouldn’t bring it up.”

“I’d hoped.”

“She seems to get on your nerves.”

“You noticed?”

“I can’t imagine anyone _didn’t_ notice.”

Yang grimaced. “I’m trying to be nice.”

“Well, you’re failing.” Weiss smirked. “You seem… _jealous.”  
_

“I am not!” Yang exclaimed, and then realized that she sounded way too defensive. She sighed. “Me and Blake, we had a talk that night I went to the bathroom. We yelled at each other. Or more like I yelled at her.”

“ _Yang.”_

“I needed to be honest!” Yang said hotly. “I needed her to know the truth. That I forgive her, but I don’t trust her.”

“Well, I guess you could’ve said worse than that.”

“Yeah, exactly. So it’s not Ilia. Its just that things are awkward right now.”

“Right,” Weiss said.

Yang ignored her tone.

“So you’re just going to continue on doing the same thing with Blake?”

“I don’t know what else to do,” Yang admitted. “I need time. Time to heal. I need… I need proof that when the next hardship comes along, she won’t just run away and leave me to pick myself up again.”

“She won’t,” Weiss said.

“I need her to prove that to me,” Yang said with quiet intensity.

This time it was Weiss who reached out to take Yang’s hand. “I understand,” she said, and they sat like that in silence until everyone busted back into the room, talking excitedly about how awesome the play had been.

Yang met Blake’s eyes once as she came in through the door, and looked away.

 

—

 

The next day passed remarkably similarly to the first. Which, Yang supposed, was what happened on a cruise. The ship officially disembarked at 4:03 in the morning. Yang knew this because the sound of the engines turning on jolted her awake, and it took her a while to go back to sleep.

The last time she’d been on a boat, it had been to find her mother, which wasn’t a particularly happy memory. She spent most of the morning eating her breakfast alone on the highest balcony she could find, watching the coastline fade slowly into the distance.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she opened it to a text from Blake. _Where are you?_

Yang was tempted not to respond, but didn’t want to send everyone spiraling into a panic. _Eating breakfast._

_Where?_

Yang sighed. _Top of the ship. Near the bow. Is everything okay?_

There was no response. Yang stuffed the phone back into her pocket, and quickly finished eating her meal. No doubt she would have company soon. Company in the form of Blake and Ilia.

Yang frowned, and watched as the waves pulsed down below.

Her phone buzzed again. This time it was from Ruby. _hey sis! want to join me in pottery class? team jnpr is here! weiss said she’d teach us!!!!!_

 _I’m good. Have fun!_ Yang typed and sent.

Ruby sent back five frowny faces. It made Yang laugh.

It was nice, seeing everyone kind of relax before they made it to Atlas where shit would undoubtedly hit the fan. A cruise was far better than a short jaunt on a military ship.

Maybe she really should get a bathing suit and swim a little? Maybe she’d even treat herself to another drink.

Time passed, and the coastline disappeared into the ocean. Blake didn’t appear, which was surprising but not entirely unwelcome. Yang didn’t think she could deal with Ilia rubbing herself all over Blake right now. Even if she knew she was just being ridiculous.

She texted Ruby. _Where’d you get the swimsuit again?_

_!!!!! there’s a bunch in weiss's room!! one should fit!!@!_

Yang smiled. Somehow Ruby always managed to come across as… _Ruby_ over text. Yang stood and stretched languidly before making her way to Weiss’ room. Inside the closet there was every type and size of bathing suit imaginable. Yang snorted when she saw it, but she wasn’t surprised. Everything else in this place was too over the top to be surprised about anything.

She found a one piece that fit, along with a nice cover-up and a towel. She went back to her room to remove her arm. The right side of her body immediately felt lighter. She had gotten used to the weight, she realized. She hadn't taken it off much since Haven.

The pool was practically empty. People instead lounged in the chairs around the sides and top of the pool deck. Yang deposited her stuff onto one before getting into the hot tub.

“This was a great choice,” she sighed out loud as she melted back against the wall. She waited until she was a shriveled prune before swinging herself out with her one hand to go get a drink.

It was the same bartender as before. This time his up and down lingered a little too long on her chest.

She crossed her arms. Well, her arm and a half. “Can you just get me my drink?”

“Coming right up,” he said, and smiled. He wasn’t ugly, Yang thought. Only a little bit older than her with dark hair and blue eyes. He even had a nice smile.

It didn’t matter. She wasn’t interested.

He handed her the drink, and she went to lounge in her chair before he could start conversation again.

“Yang!” Jaune shouted from across the pool deck. Yang cracked her eyes open to look at him. It was all of team JNPR, plus Ruby and Weiss. They were waving wildly from the other side of the pool like idiots. Well, Ruby, Nora, and Jaune were. She waved back.

Ruby reached her first. “You swam without me? Come on!”

“I just took a dip in the hot tub, Rubes. Much better than the pool.”

“No, it’s not,” Ruby grumbled.

“Yes, it is,” Weiss chimed in. They bickered as they settled down in chairs nearby. Yang closed her eyes to try and doze off. Because what was the point of a cruise if she didn’t nap?

Her phone buzzed again. She sighed, knowing who it would undoubtedly be.

_Where are you?_

_At the pool with everyone else._

Blake and Ilia appeared only minutes later. Ruby spotted them first. “Blake! Ilia! Over here.”

Yang watched them approach with one eye open. Blake looked flustered, ears flattened slightly to her head. Ilia looked the same.

Yang closed her eye. She couldn’t bring herself to think about it. It didn’t matter that she wanted ignorance, though, because mere seconds passed before Ruby said, “Where have you guys been?”

“Just catching up!” Ilia replied cheerfully. Her voice took on suggestive tone. “It’s been a while, you know?”

Yang’s stomach dipped, and fell. She took a sip from her drink, and did not open her eyes. She couldn’t bear to look. She couldn’t let herself see the truth in Blake’s eyes.

_The truth of what, Yang?_

She drained her drink in one go, and stood abruptly to go get another one.

Blake was staring at her, brow furrowed. “Yang?”

“You want something?” she asked bluntly.

“N-no,” Blake stuttered, taken aback by it.

Yang turned and went right back to the bartender. This time when he smiled, she smiled back. “Rum and coke, please.”

“Anything for the lady,” he replied, sliding the drink in front of her. She pounded it back then and there.

“Yang?” A hand landed on her shoulder. It was Blake. And, for _fucks sake Ilia was right behind her._

Yang couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t. “Hey, dude, can I get another?”

“Anything for you,” he said, and winked.

Blake’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “Yang, what are you doing?”

“Enjoying my cruise. What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Drinking way too fast.”

“I don’t see why that matters to you. You’re not my mother, remember?”

Blake flinched, but Yang didn’t feel any victory for it.

“What is your problem?” Blake hissed. Ilia was still there, now looking confusedly between Yang and Blake, and Yang just _cannot_ stand the sight of her.

“Will you give us some privacy for one fucking minute?” Yang spat. Ilia reared back, something like anger and embarrassment on her face. She then turned and walked away.

“Fucking finally,” Yang exclaimed, and took a sip of her drink.

“Yang! That was rude!” Blake said, and it made Yang angrier.

“Oh, right,” Yang sneered. “I forgot you two were a package deal, and if I want to talk to one of you I need to talk to the other.”

The hurt on Blake’s face was too much. Guilt crashed over Yang without warning. She’d lashed out at Blake. And for what? For bringing Ilia around?

What kind of person was she?

She looked down at the still full cup of rum and coke, and pushed it away.

“I need to go,” she said. “I really need to go.”

“Yang—”

“Don’t, Blake,” Yang pushed Blake away and left. Everyone watched her go. Her own room was too obvious of a place to hide, so Yang disappeared down into the bowels of the ship to find a corner to cry in.

Ruby found her sometime later, and wrapped her up in a hug, cradling her against her.

“I don’t know why I did that,” Yang said.

“It’s okay, Yang,” Ruby soothed her. “Blake’s okay.”

“I’m no better than Adam.”

“That’s not true. Don’t say that.”

“I was rude to Ilia—“

“Yang,” Ruby interrupted. “Ilia has been antagonizing you since she first met you. I’m surprised it took you this long to snap, honestly.”

Yang stared at Ruby. “What?”

Ruby nodded. “Ilia’s not a bad person. She just cares for Blake too much, and feels threatened by you. She couldn’t help herself.”

And Yang suddenly felt vindicated. She hadn’t been crazy.

“That doesn’t mean you should’ve snapped at Blake like that, though.”

Yang groaned, and the vindication disappeared as quickly as it had come. “I know. I’ll apologize.”

“I know you will,” Ruby whispered, rubbing Yang’s back. “You and Blake are going to be okay. You both are just fragile right now, and afraid.”

“When did you get so smart?”

“Excuse me, I’ve always been this smart.”

They laughed.

“I’m still drunk,” Yang admitted. “I shouldn’t have had so many. I did what Qrow does. Drown his sorrows.”

“It doesn’t really work, does it?”

“No. I’m never drinking again.”

“Eh, never say never,” Ruby admonished. “You never know. Just don’t drink so much under emotional duress ever again.”

“I can do that.”

They sat like that for a while. Ruby flagged down a waiter to request water and snacks, and before long they were having a picnic on the floor. It helped sober Yang up tremendously.

“You know, the dance is tonight,” Ruby said, biting into her fifth goat cheese cracker. “You have to come. I’m making you.”

“I don’t have a dress.”

“We’ll get you a dress. You think Weiss can’t?”

“I’m not really feeling dancing right now, Ruby.”

“I don’t care. It’ll make you feel better.”

Picnic done, they made their way back upstairs. Yang hesitated at her door, glancing between Blake’s and her own. She still felt angry. According the Ruby, Ilia had been purposefully pushing her this whole time, and Blake had done nothing stop her.

Yang had a hard time believing Blake hadn’t realized.

She pushed open her door slowly to find her room empty, and breathed out a sigh of relief she didn’t know she’d been holding. The clock on her nightstand read 5:21 PM in bright, red letters. Dinner would be in an hour, and then the show and dance would be at 8:00.

With that in mind, she took a long shower to wash the salt water away. She ordered food for herself, but didn’t join the others. She didn’t want to face them just yet. At 6:45, there was a knock on her door. She hesitated, not wanting to open it, until Weiss said, “Yang, you’d better open this door right now!”

Yang opened the door. To her immense relief, it was _only_ Weiss. She was holding a pile of dresses. “Here,” Weiss said, shoving them into her arms, and pushing her way into the room. Yang stumbled, and barely managed not to fall flat on her ass.

“Woah, Weiss. Good gracious.”

“Don’t, Yang. Ruby wants you to come to the dance. _I_ want you to come to the dance. And we’re going to find you the best _fucking_ dress ever.”

“Did you just say fuck?”

“Not the point.”

Yang smiled. “Okay, well, before we start can you help me put them on the bed?”

Weiss deflated some. “Oh, yeah, sure.”

Together they laid the dresses out on each of the twin beds. Weiss had brought eleven, which was excessive. But then again, Weiss was great at excessive.

“I think you’ll look best in the red one, but I figured we should try each just to make sure.”

“You’re not upset at me?”

Weiss turned and looked at her. “No, I understand why you acted the way you did, although you were a tad too nasty.”

Yang winced. “Right.”

“Blake is mad,” Weiss said matter-of-factly, handing Yang the first dress. “But mostly she’s really hurt. She doesn’t understand what she’s done wrong because for some reason you still refuse to communicate with her.”

Yang blew air out of her mouth. Pot, meet kettle. “How was I supposed to explain this? Hey, Blake, I really just don’t like your friend?”

“Yes!” Weiss exclaimed.

“But there’s no good reason  _why,”_ Yang said. “How do I look?”

“Next,” Weiss said, throwing another dress at her. “And there is a reason why.”

“I’m _not_ jealous.”

Weiss just hummed. “Not that one either.” Yang had barely managed to slip it on.

“I guess… I guess I just got scared she was going to leave again,” Yang admitted. “Go back to Menagerie.”

“You could’ve told her that.”

“Nothing she could’ve said would have made me feel better.”

“You don’t know that. Not that one either.”

Yang ripped the green dress off of her head. “Weiss, come on.”

“ _Talk to her,_ Yang.”

In the end they chose the deep blue dress because, in Weiss’ words, “it made her eyes _pop.”_

When the time came, Yang stepped out into the hall to find everyone except Qrow, Oscar, Maria, Blake and Ilia waiting for her. “Blake and Ilia are coming later,” Ruby told her. The conversation continued like nothing had ever happened, like she hadn’t stormed off in a fury earlier. Yang appreciated it.

The show was nice. The first act was an orchestra, with the follow up acts being different groups of bands. The floor has been cleared of tables to allow people to dance, and dance they did. Yang let herself be swept into the crowd, moving from person to person as the music changed. It started off as classic music, which meant a slow waltz before jumping to more contemporary hits. Yang eventually found her way back to the group. Weiss and Ruby were dancing closely together, while Ren and Nora were practically all over each other. Thank God _that_ finally happened. Jaune was dancing with a nice-looking younger lady. He didn’t look that invested, but he was having a fun time, and Yang figured that was all that mattered.

She let herself be carried off by the crowd again until suddenly she found herself in the bartender’s arms. He grinned.

“They let the workers dance?” she asked him as he twirled her.

“It’s my birthday,” he replied. “This is all I asked for, just to be with you.”

Yang laughed. “Right, sure.”

“Do you not believe me? Let me show you,” he moved forward as though to kiss her. Yang cocked her leg back, mere seconds from shoving it forward so hard his balls would disappear into his body, when Bartender Man was ripped away, and Blake was there. Her teeth were bared, and her ears were flat back on her head as she pushed him into the crowd.

“Blake?” Yang asked, shocked at the abrupt entrance.

“We need to talk,” Blake said, before grabbing her hand, and leading her away.

Yang let herself be dragged out of the ballroom and through the ship. At first she thought Blake was taking her back to their rooms, but instead she kept going higher until she reached the upper deck of the ship.

“Blake,” Yang said, trying to tug her hand away. Blake just held on tighter. “Blake, what are you doing??”

Blake released her suddenly. They’d reached the bow, sandwiched between what Yang assumed was the bridge to the left and the ship railing.

“Blake—”

“What were you doing with him?” Blake spat, whirling to look Yang in the face. Her eyes were narrowed and her teeth were clenched. She looked furious.

“I wasn’t doing _anything_ with him,” Yang replied reflexively before anger swept over her. How _dare_ Blake get heated with her for something like this? “This is so rich coming from you!”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean?”

“It means Ilia has only been around for two days, and she’s already replaced me. Yet here you are getting jealous—”

“She has _not_ replaced you, or anyone! I’ve been _trying_ to include you—”

“Well, maybe that would work better if she wasn't actively trying to piss me off!”

“She isn't!”

“She is, and you know it,” Yang yelled. “Don’t play innocent with me. What were you guys doing today when you disappeared for a while, huh?”

“We—we weren’t doing _anything,_ ” Blake yelled back, but there was a stutter, a hesitation, a slight tilt to her eyes as she looked away for a moment, and Yang was filled with fury. Fury and _something else._

“You’re lying.”

How _dare_ Blake court her only to drop her again, and then to have the gall to be jealous over some random asshole? How _dare_ she find someone else after all they’d been through, after she’d finally come back? After Yang had finally opened up to her again?

Before Yang could stop herself, she’d grabbed Blake by both wrists and pushed her into the bridge wall. Blake didn’t fight back. Instead, she gasped as she slammed against the metal bulkhead. The sound of it drove Yang insane. Or at least, that’s what she told herself. That this was insanity. Her mouth was on Blake’s before she could breathe, teeth biting down on Blake’s soft lower lip with fierce savagery.

Blake was _hers. Her_ partner, _her_ friend, and she wasn’t going to let Blake just leave her again after everything they’d been through.

And Blake? Blake kissed back. She threw herself at Yang with everything she had, trying futilely to rip her hands from Yang’s grasp. She whimpered as Yang pinned her with her hips so she couldn’t move, and Yang took advantage of her mouth opening to slip her tongue inside.

Yang felt like she was going crazy. She could feel molten heat coursing through her body with every heartbeat. She was wet, and desperate, and she could not imagine stopping for even a second. If she stopped, she might die.

She pushed her leg between Blake’s, forcing the Faunus’ dress up past her hips, and she melted when Blake let out a little cry, grinding herself down onto Yang’s thigh. Yang let her mouth leave Blake’s, biting down on the junction between her neck and her shoulder. Blake moaned, hands pulling against Yang’s.

“Yang,” she gasped. “Please.”

“Please what?” Yang asked. “Tell me, Blake.” She sucked on Blake’s earlobe, and ground her leg up harder until the Faunus cried out again.

“ _Touch me_ , Yang. Touch me, _please.”_ Blake continued to repeat please over and over again like a mantra as Yang released Blake’s left hand to reach down and slip her fingers into Blake’s underwear.

Blake was soaked through. Her underwear was in ruins. Yang groaned as she ran her fingers through the wetness, and felt fresh arousal pulse through her. Here it was, the proof that Blake wanted her just as badly as she wanted Blake. The thought overwhelmed her for a second, and she let out a choked gasp. Maybe Blake knew what she was thinking, because she used her free hand to grasp Yang’s face, and yanked it towards her so their lips were locked once again.

Yang slid her fingers forward to light brush against Blake’s clit, and was awarded by a sharp intake of breathe and Blake’s hips thrusting forward. She did it again.

“Oh _god,”_ Blake cried, ripping her mouth away from Yang’s to slam her head back against the bulkhead.

Yang let her fingers gently swirl around the nub, barely applying pressure. She wasn’t ambidextrous so it was harder to do it masterfully with her left hand, but she was determined. Blake squirmed and moaned, trying to force her hips down and forward to grind hard against Yang’s finger. Yang wouldn’t let her.

She wanted to draw this out. She wanted Blake to never forget how she’d touched her, how good she'd made her feel. She didn't want Blake to forget it was Yang making her feel this way, and no one else. 

“Yang, please. Please.” Blake couldn’t say much else. She gasped, and her head fell forward to rest on Yang’s shoulder. Yang could feel her lips against her collarbone.

Without warning, Yang pushed two fingers inside her, and bent them forward to rub against the ridged skin there.

Blake screamed. Her hips thrashed.

Yang forced her still, and began to pump in and out slowly, making sure to purposefully brush the front of Blake’s walls. Blake’s scream tempered off into to ragged moans.

“Does that feel good, Blake?” Yang whispered viciously into Blake’s ear. “Do you like the feeling of my fingers fucking you? Is this what you wanted?”

Blake shuddered, and her moans turned to cries. “Yes. God. _Yes_ , Yang. You feel so good. Please.”

“Please what?”

“Harder. I need you. I need you harder. I need you deeper.”

Blood roared in Yang’s ears, and she began fucking Blake harder, moving her fingers in and out faster, making sure to still brush the front wall of her pussy.

“ _Oh my god,”_ Blake cried. Yang released her other hand, and reached forward to grab her hip to keep her in place. Blake curled forward, and wrapped her hands in Yang’s hair, desperately grasping the sides of Yang's face. She leaned forward and kissed Yang sloppily. Yang returned it. Eventually Blake broke away, breathing too hard to continue.

She looked beautiful.

“I missed you,” Yang whispered, wracked with emotion. “I missed you more than I’ve missed anything in my whole life.”

Blake let out a sob.

“You made me so happy. You made me feel like I could take on the world. You made me feel safe.”

Yang sped up her fingers, and let her thumb hover over Blake’s clit so that it would gently brush it as she thrust.

“Y-you too,” Blake gasped. “I felt the same way.”

“Then why did you leave me?” Yang’s voice cracked. “Why was I not enough?”

“N-no, you were more than enough,” Blake writhed against Yang’s hand. Her arms wrapped tighter around Yang. “It was me. I-I—” she broke off, moaned. “I was scared. I couldn’t bear to see you hurt. I thought- thought it would be better if I never saw you again.”

“Was it?”

“No,” Blake cried out, so close to peak. “It—it felt like a part of me had died.”

“You can’t leave me again, Blake. Not like that.”

“I won’t! I won’t ever. Never a—again—oh my god, Yang.”

Yang placed a third and final finger. She kept her rhythm steady, and watched as Blake fell apart with a cry. They shuddered against each other. Yang could feel Blake’s cunt clenching and pulling around her fingers as she came down, and a fresh wave of desire washed over her. This was what she had wanted, but had refused to think about for _so long_ because she hadn’t thought it could possibly happen.

She kissed Blake again before Blake could gain her bearings and change her mind. Before Blake declared this a fluke. Blake kissed her back, lazy and sweet, with her eyes closed.

Yang slowly, reluctantly, pulled her fingers from Blake. Blake whined and shuddered as she did, going limp. Yang put them to her mouth before she could stop herself, tasting them, tasting _Blake’s cum_ on her fingers. It was surreal, and so, so good. She started to lick them clean, when Blake reached up to grab her hand and pull it towards her. Yang watched as Blake put her fingers in her mouth to clean them for her, and her cunt clenched again.

 _Oh my god_. She nearly moaned as Blake’s tongue worked around her fingers. Blake was purring, and she could feel the vibrations through her fingers.

“Blake,” she gasped, and then Blake sank to her knees. “Blake?”

“Let me do this for you, Yang,” Blake whispered. “I so badly want to.” Then she pushed Yang’s dress up, pulled her underwear down, and put her mouth on Yang’s soaking wet cunt.

Yang gasped, hands jerking forward to grab Blake’s head. Blake moaned as she did, and the vibrations traveled straight to her clit. It wasn’t gentle. Yang was already desperately close to the edge, and Blake ate pussy like her life depended on it. Yang grabbed Blake by the head and ground her hips forward against her face. Every time she brushed Blake’s ears, she would moan. Every time she pulled Blake’s hair, she would moan. Yang began doing both at the same time, and Blake went wild against her.

Yang looked down to see Blake looking up at her, face wrecked with cum and eyes dark with lust, and she exploded. She’d never come so hard in her entire life, and her body was wracked with waves upon waves of pleasure. Blake lapped it all up, and kept lapping until Yang pushed her away. Together, they slid to the ground and cuddled up against the bulkhead, wrapped around one another.

“I’m sorry,” Yang said finally after enough time had passed for them to collect themselves. “For being a dick today. I was so jealous, and I saw you two together and I just…”

“It’s okay,” Blake said.

“But—”

“Yang, really, it’s okay.”

Yang sighed, and pulled Blake closer. “Okay, good.”

“I didn’t get together with Ilia.”

Yang stiffened. “No?”

“No,” Blake said. “She wanted to. She propositioned me, and I considered it for maybe a second. I didn’t think you’d ever want me, so I thought ‘at least this way I’ll have someone.’ But I didn’t do it, because I didn’t want to hurt her. And she wasn’t you.”

The explanation hurt. The idea that Blake had even considered someone else even more so, but she pushed it away. “Then why was she so—?”

“She took my hesitation in answering the wrong way. She thought maybe she had a chance with a bit more time.”

“Ha. Fuck that,” Yang said angrily, and Blake chuckled. She ran a hand down Yang’s cheek.

“Fuck that,” she agreed. “I only want you.”

“Really?” 

“I’ve always only wanted you, Yang. I just didn’t think you wanted me back.”

Yang laughed wryly. “We’re a bunch of idiots. We need to get better at the whole talking thing.”

“I think I’m to blame for most of that.”

“That’s not true,” Yang scoffed. “ But it doesn’t matter who did what. We’re here now.”

“And I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know,” Yang lied softly, and kissed her.

**Author's Note:**

> Update: I went back and edited for grammatical errors/clarity.


End file.
